Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) layer control for wireless user equipment

Abstract

A wireless communication device controls Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) layers that use a radio band. The wireless communication device determines radio band status for the radio band. The wireless communication device wirelessly indicates the radio band status for the radio band to a wireless access node. The wireless access node selects a number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status for the radio band. The wireless communication device wirelessly receives signaling from the wireless access node that indicates the number of the MIMO layers. The wireless access node wirelessly receives user data from the wireless access node over the radio band using the number of MIMO layers in response to the signaling.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method to control Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) layers that use a radio band, the method comprising:
 determining a radio band status for the radio band; 
 wirelessly indicating the radio band status for the radio band to a wireless access node that selects a number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status for the radio band; 
 wirelessly receiving signaling from the wireless access node that indicates the number of the MIMO layers; and 
 wirelessly receiving user data from the wireless access node over the radio band using the number of MIMO layers in response to the signaling. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining an emergency status; and 
 wirelessly indicating the emergency status to the wireless access node that selects the number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status and the emergency status. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining a relay status; and 
 wirelessly indicating the relay status to the wireless access node that selects the number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status and the relay status. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 determining the radio band status comprises determining Channel State Information (CSI); and 
 wirelessly indicating the radio band status to the wireless access node comprises wirelessly indicating the CSI to the wireless access node that selects the number of the MIMO layers based on the CSI. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining a Multiple User MIMO (MU-MIMO) capability; and 
 wirelessly indicating the MU-MIMO capability to the wireless access node that selects the number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status and MU-MIMO capability. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein wirelessly receiving the user data from the wireless access node over the radio band using the number of the MIMO layers comprises sharing individual resource blocks with wireless communication devices that share the MIMO layers. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein wirelessly receiving the user data from the wireless access node over the radio band using the number of the MIMO layers comprises wirelessly receiving the number of millimeter Wave (mmW) signals over the radio band using the number of the MIMO layers. 
     
     
       8. A method of operating a wireless communication device to control Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) layers, the method comprising:
 user circuitry determining radio band status for a radio band; 
 the user circuitry indicating the radio band status for the radio band to a radio; 
 the radio wirelessly indicating the radio band status for the radio band to a wireless access node that selects a number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status for the radio band; 
 the radio wirelessly receiving signaling from the wireless access node that indicates the number of the MIMO layers and transferring the signaling to the user circuitry; 
 the radio wirelessly receiving the number of user data signals from the wireless access node over the radio band using the number of the MIMO layers and transferring the number of the user data signals to the user circuitry; and 
 the user circuitry isolating the number of the user data signals from the number of the MIMO layers in response to the signaling. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 the user circuitry determining an emergency status for the wireless communication device and indicating the emergency status for the wireless communication device to the radio; and 
 the radio wirelessly indicating the emergency status for the wireless communication device to the wireless access node that selects the number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status for the radio band and the emergency status for the wireless communication device. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 the user circuitry determining a relay status for the wireless communication device and indicating the relay status for the wireless communication device to the radio; and 
 the radio wirelessly indicating the relay status for the wireless communication device to the wireless access node that selects the number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status for the radio band and the relay status for the wireless communication device. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8  wherein:
 the user circuitry determining the radio band status for the radio band comprises determining Channel State Information (CSI) for the radio band; 
 the user circuitry indicating the radio band status for the radio band to the radio comprises indicating the CSI for the radio band to the radio; and 
 the radio wirelessly indicating the radio band status for the radio band to the wireless access node comprises wirelessly indicating the CSI for the radio band to the wireless access node that selects the number of the MIMO layers based on the CSI for the radio band. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 the user circuitry determining a Multiple User MIMO (MU-MIMO) capability for the wireless communication device; 
 the user circuitry indicating the MU-MIMO capability for the wireless communication device to the radio; and 
 the radio wirelessly indicating the MU-MIMO capability for the wireless communication device to the wireless access node that selects the number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status for the radio band and MU-MIMO capability for the wireless communication device. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8  wherein:
 the radio wirelessly receiving the number of the user data signals from the wireless access node over the radio band using the number of the MIMO layers comprises the wireless communication device sharing individual resource blocks with other wireless communication devices that share the MIMO layers; and 
 the user circuitry isolating the number of the user data signals from the number of the MIMO layers in response to the signaling comprises the wireless communication device sharing the individual resource blocks with the other wireless communication devices that share the MIMO layers. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8  wherein:
 the radio wirelessly receiving the number of the user data signals from the wireless access node over the radio band using the number of the MIMO layers comprises wirelessly receiving the number of millimeter Wave (mmW) signals over the radio band using the number of the MIMO layers; and 
 the user circuitry isolating the number of the user data signals from the number of the MIMO layers comprises isolating the number of the mmW signals from the number of the MIMO layers. 
 
     
     
       15. A wireless communication device to control Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) layers, the wireless communication device comprising:
 user circuitry to determine radio band status for a radio band; 
 the user circuitry to indicate the radio band status for the radio band to a radio; 
 the radio to wirelessly indicate the radio band status for the radio band to a wireless access node that is to select a number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status for the radio band; 
 the radio to wirelessly receive signaling from the wireless access node that indicates the number of the MIMO layers and to transfer the signaling to the user circuitry; and 
 the radio to wirelessly receive the number of user data signals from the wireless access node over the number of the MIMO layers and to transfer the number of the user data signals to the user circuitry; and 
 the user circuitry to isolate the number of the user data signals from the number of the MIMO layers in response to the signaling. 
 
     
     
       16. The wireless communication device of  claim 15  further comprising:
 the user circuitry to determine an emergency status for the wireless communication device and indicate the emergency status for the wireless communication device to the radio; and 
 the radio to wirelessly indicate the emergency status for the wireless communication device to the wireless access node that is to select the number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status for the radio band and the emergency status for the wireless communication device. 
 
     
     
       17. The wireless communication device of  claim 15  further comprising:
 the user circuitry to determine a relay status for the wireless communication device and to indicate the relay status for the wireless communication device to the radio; and 
 the radio to wirelessly indicate the relay status for the wireless communication device to the wireless access node that is to select the number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status for radio band and the relay status for the wireless communication device. 
 
     
     
       18. The wireless communication device of  claim 15  wherein the radio band status for the radio band comprises Channel State Information (CSI) for the radio band. 
     
     
       19. The wireless communication device of  claim 15  further comprising:
 the user circuitry to determine a Multiple User MIMO (MU-MIMO) capability for the wireless communication device and to indicate the MU-MIMO capability for the wireless communication device to the radio; and 
 the radio to wirelessly indicate the MU-MIMO capability for the wireless communication device to the wireless access node that selects the number of the MIMO layers based on the radio band status for the radio band and the MU-MIMO capability for the wireless communication device. 
 
     
     
       20. The wireless communication device of  claim 15  wherein:
 the radio is to share individual resource blocks with other wireless communication devices that share the MIMO layers to wirelessly receive the number of the user data signals from the wireless access node over the radio band using the number of the MIMO layers; and 
 the user circuitry is to share the individual resource blocks with the other wireless communication devices that share the MIMO layers to isolate the number of the user data signals from the number of the MIMO layers.